In the process of manufacturing an optical disc that records and reproduces information by using laser light or the like, an imprinting method has been employed in which a concavo-convex pattern including pits and guide grooves is formed on a resin by using a transfer die. More specifically, a transfer die having a shape pattern on its surface is initially created so as to have pits corresponding to projections, and projections corresponding to pits, of the concavo-convex pattern to be formed on the surface of a resin replica which constitutes part of the optical disc. This transfer die is pressed into a softened resin from above with pressure, the resin being applied onto glass or resin in a uniform thickness, thereby transferring the shape pattern on the surface of the transfer die onto the resin. After the resin is cured, this resin replica is released from the transfer die, and a recording film, a reflection coating, and the like are deposited thereon by sputtering or the like, thereby fabricating the optical disc.
The concavo-convex pattern of the resin replica mentioned above has been formed increasingly finer and at higher densities with increasing recording densities of information recording media. In such cases, the transfer die must be pressed into transfer targets with pressure higher than heretofore, and it is necessary to maintain the transfer targets and the transfer die more strictly in parallel with each other while bringing them closer and pressing in.
To address this problem, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-100038 discloses a jig which allows free relative movement between means for holding a transfer die and means for holding a transfer target while always maintaining them in parallel. More specifically, the transfer die and the transfer target (substrate) are both fixed to holding means of the jig while the parallelism therebetween is adjusted by using a CCD camera. It is stated that when the transfer die and the transfer target, accompanied by the jig, are subsequently transported to a hydraulic stamp press and put closer to each other, the transfer die can approach the transfer target in parallel and be pressed into the same. It is also stated that if an elastic member is interposed between the means for holding the transfer target and the hydraulic stamp press, it is possible to apply a uniform pressure to the transfer die and the transfer target for uniform transfer of the concavo-convex pattern.